Less than $200 taken from Cleveland Road

Posted: Tuesday, December 21, 2010

By Joe Johnson

School officials determined a burglar who broke into a school in Western Clarke County this weekend got away with less than $200, according to Frank Platt, the Clarke County School District's police chief.

The thief went through many money envelopes in Cleveland Road Elementary School's office, but school officials who tallied the losses determined only $170 had been stolen, Platt said.

Security cameras recorded the man as he broke a window and entered the school about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, then forced his way into the walk-in vault in the main office, Athens-Clarke police said.

The thief apparently cut himself on broken glass because there was an extensive amount of blood on the doors and walls in the office, according to police.

Burglaries of local public schools are infrequent, Platt said, and many break-ins are thwarted by alarms.

But the burglar struck before Cleveland Road Elementary's alarm system had been armed Saturday, Platt said.

The burglary seemed to be random and not connected with the school closing for the Christmas break, Platt said.

School district police officers check buildings more frequently over holidays, and Athens-Clarke police increase patrols, he said.

Cleveland Road Elementary's surveillance camera footage showed the burglar was a black man in his mid-30s to mid-40s and with a medium build and a mustache, police said; he wore a red and gray plaid hooded jacket, light-colored jeans, a baseball cap and white shoes.